CPA (Commonwealth Parliamentary Association) activities: the Canadian scene.

New Speaker in New Brunswick

John Bradley McKay was elected Speaker of the New Brunswick Legislative Assembly in November 1997. He was born June 8, 1948 at Newcastle, New Brunswick, the son of William John McKay and Elmira Scott.

He received his early education at Harkins Academy and attended the New Brunswick Teachers' College. He later graduated from the University of New Brunswick.

A teacher, Mr. McKay was first elected to the legislature on November 18, 1974 to represent the Liberal Party in the new single-member riding of Miramichi-Newcastle. Reelected October 23, 1978, he served four years as Financial Critic. He was reelected in 1987 and 1991. After a provincial redistribution, he was reelected in 1995 to represent the new constituency of Miramichi Centre.

He served on the legislature's Standing Committees on Agriculture, Natural Resources and Fisheries; Contingencies; Crown Corporations; Energy; Law Amendments; Legislative Administration; Municipalities and Corporations; Natural Resources; Private Bills; Procedure; Public Accounts, and Standing Rules. He served on the Select Committee on Renewable Resources and the Special Committee on Economic Policy Development. He was a member of the Standing Committees on Privileges and from 1989 to 1997 he was Chairman of Government Caucus.

On November 4, 1997 Mr McKay was elected Speaker of the 53rd Legislature. As Speaker, he chairs the Legislative Administration Committee.

A Newcastle town councillor for nine years, Mr. McKay was chairman of the Finance Committee, deputy mayor, and he was elected mayor in 1986. He has been president of the Miramichi Airport Commission, vice-president and director of the Miramichi Agricultural Exhibition Association, member of the Miramichi Hospital Board, director of Big Brothers, director of the Miramichi Planning District Commission, and president of the North Shore Trotting Association.

Mr. McKay is past president of the Miramichi Historical Society, former director of the French Fort Cove Development Commission, former director of the Northumberland Organization of the Disabled and a member of the Newcastle Rotary Club.

Canadian Presiding Officers Conference

The Annual Meeting of the individuals who preside over Canadian legislative assemblies took place in Victoria British Columbia from January 15-18, 1998. The host of the Conference was Speaker Dale Lovick of British Columbia. There were nine business sessions, three of which were round table...